VERBATIM - slow updates.

Chapter eleven.

TW: mentions of sexual abuse, self harm and abuse. Please read carefully and be safe :)

I had finally felt the tingles and warmth that I'd been missing for a month. His fingers holding my chin up so that I could watch him. I felt as though instead of him only holding my head up, he was holding all of my pains, all of my worries.

My eyes watered at the question. How stupid of me. He was doing his job and I was acting like I was special, like he actually cared.

"Yes, of course I'm fine, sir" I said with a single nod, my eyes resting on his nose. I couldn't bare to disappoint him.

He exhaled, his warm and minty breath fanning over my face, a large sigh. He shook his head dejectedly. "Alright," he whispered, releasing my head from his hand, yet my gaze stayed on his nose. "Is your shoulder feeling better?" He asked me nervously.

Throughout the chaos of the past week I had almost forgotten about my collar bone; the reason that I was off in the first place. The constant sexual torture, beatings and self harm, my first injury felt minuscule. Irrelevant.

"Oh, yes. It's absolutely fine. I can barely feel it anymore" I spoke softly.

I wasn't even lying. Instead of the pain radiating from my shoulder and dispersing throughout the rest of my body. The pain started inside, in my heart and left my entire body numb. So, in the end, I couldn't feel my collar. It was nothing compared to the agony that was my existence.

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, his head titling to the side. Cute. None of my rules applied to them, just because I couldn't tilt my head didn't mean they couldn't. They could do anything.

"I'm sure it takes more than ten weeks to heal a break like that. It shouldn't have healed already. You didn't even go to the hospital, did you?" He questions, his hands almost reaching out to examine me. Yet he controls himself.

"No, sir. I didn't go to the hospital. I suppose I just heal quickly." I say, moving my weight to both of my feet as standing up for so long was making me feel light headed.

"Right...come and eat lunch with us again today. We've missed you." He smiled lightly, opening the classroom door and gesturing for me to enter.

Honestly, i couldn't tell what was worse. Dealing with the constant abuse at home or coming to school and seeing how much of a disappointment I was to everybody.

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Thankfully everything in class that I had missed was topics that I had previously taught myself at home. We were at the moment reading the novel 'Of Mice and Men' which Mr Griffin had expressed his hatred for deeply. I was glad he didn't like it, neither did I.

I had read the book before and it made me feel uncomfortable. The school made it mandatory for our year to read it, so we hadn't a choice.

Moving from class to class was mind numbing. I had gone from doing nothing but laying in a bed for four weeks to walking corridor to corridor. It was exhausting.

Though, I was excited. Because soon I would be reunited with Ayda, I'd missed them. They were my only friend; if they would even call me that. Nevertheless, they were refreshing and I needed it. I needed a break.

Here I sat, in Dr Quintero's class. I was here before anyone. Before the teacher. Just waiting. My hands mindlessly running up and down the lengths of the plastic tables, grazing over the bumps and flat grey flecks.

"Holy fucking shit." An unrecognisable voice sounded from behind me. I didn't bother turning as I assumed they weren't talking to me. "Aphrodite! You're alive." They voiced, a joking tone lacing their words.

I slowly moved my head to see who exactly was talking to me. There they stood, Ayda. They're voice sounded deeper which confused me slightly. Their eyebrows darker. Their hair had been cut and now rested in curtains around their face. Though, they were just as enchanting as they were when I had first seen them.

"You've changed." I stated, a small smile on my lips as I take in their new look.

Baggy blue jeans, large rips in the knees and thighs. An band T-shirt for something called 'SlipKnot'. Chunky black trainers that made them at the very least four-inches taller. Their neck was adorned with a variety of chains, a dog tag as well.

"You've missed so much! But before I start spewing shit about nothing, are you doing alright? I've heard mad rumours about what happened but I don't believe any of that shit" they said, plopping down in the stool beside me. Carelessly tossing their bag on the ground.

"Oh...well," I began. I trusted them, I knew that they wouldn't judge me. I knew that whatever I told them, they'd keep private and for that reason alone, I told them. "Do you know who Alaric is?"

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"Woah, what the fuck! What the actual fuck!" They cursed out in a whisper shout. "I'm not going to lie, he does give off massive nonce vibes. Like, I've heard stories about him from other people. Little fucker thinks he can get away with it because of his dad." They shake their head in disappointment.

"It's fine, I'm over it." I reassure. A genuine smile on my face.

They turn to me with a slack jaw. "Huh? No you're not. Im not even over it for you. You're allowed to be upset and care, you don't have to be perfect all the time" they chastise.

"You think I'm perfect?" I joked, a little giggle escaping as I listen to them.

Their eyes widen. "You-oh my god. You-you made a joke!" They slapped their knee. "I did it! I broke through! Ahah!"

I couldn't contain my laugh as we both break down. What a strange person.

"Anyway!" Ayda began once we calmed down. "I have so much to tell you." With that, they told me all about how they started taking testosterone, how they've met a girl and they think that they really like her, how since I've been gone they've done absolutely no work in this class since they had nobody to copy from and how their granny was dying to meet me.

It was a good day. It's been a great day.

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Word count: 1104.

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